This Belgrade-born, Brooklyn-based photographer shoots almost exclusively with black and white film; his work is the real deal. From gangs in New York City projects to skinheads in Serbia, from the streets of Tokyo to the back roads of Kingston… Yeah, we’re not trying to romanticize it, but he roams wide and deep, and catches potent, definitive moments effortlessly amidst the chaos. It’s photojournalism so good, it’s art. The grayscale, grainy grittiness is a perfect stylistic fit.

Once a given, the absence of color in photography from the last few decades is now a deliberate choice, not a technological limitation. So why would a modern photographer opt for black and white, forgoing those vivid Lomo hues or subtle customized tones of an advanced SLR? Here are a few current big shots who don’t care for color, for whom shooting in black and white allows a specific style, a certain punch, a special magic their vision demands. Check ’em out in our slideshow and let us know if we missed anyone.